Snowe Calls on Congress, President to Find Common Ground to Meet Historic Challenges

Snowe Calls on Congress, President to Find Common Ground to Meet Historic Challenges

“Now, more than ever, the President and the Congress have the greatest responsibility to demonstrate we have the capacity to forge solutions to those issues that truly resonate in people’s everyday lives.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – After tonight’s State of the Union Address, U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) called on the President and Congress to work together to address the consequential issues facing the nation – from the economy and health care to the war in Iraq and global climate change.

“As the President rightly identified some of the greatest challenges of our time, now, more than ever, the President and the Congress have the greatest responsibility to demonstrate we have the capacity to forge solutions to those issues that truly resonate in people’s everyday lives. The fact is Americans are yearning not for the status quo stagnation of partisanship, but for the promise offered by leadership committed to progress on the pressing matters facing our nation – our lagging economy, the war in Iraq, reinstating and expanding trade adjustment assistance, and combating global climate change. 

“It is imperative that the Congress work swiftly and in a bipartisan fashion to pass measures that will provide assistance to those who have been struggling with job losses and exorbitant energy costs – and will use the funds to pay for vital necessities. I agreed with President Bush’s call for legislation to jump-start an economy battered by a credit crunch, painful downturn in housing markets, and soaring energy prices. In particular, as Ranking Member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I was pleased by his support for incentives to assist small businesses to invest and create additional jobs – the kind of initiatives underpinning a measure I introduced entitled the “Small Business Stimulus Act of 2008” (S. 2552) which would provide small enterprises – our nation’s true job creators – with investment incentives necessary to help the slowing economy recover from its current weakness. 

“In parts of Iraq, there is no doubt that the security situation has improved due to the tremendous efforts of our brave men and women. However, without national reconciliation such progress is unsustainable. The Iraqi government must utilize the breathing space that our soldiers have so courageously fought to secure.  Otherwise, the gains by our military personnel stand to be lost.”

“The President’s dogmatic insistence on further free trade agreements blithely ignores the extent of the downside to trade liberalization for many hard-working Americans, businesses and communities— including three separate paper companies in Maine which were forced to close production lines in recent weeks.  The Administration’s cynical understating of the harm caused by its trade policies is easy to read between the lines of the President’s comments ostensibly supporting the reauthorization and— as he cryptically phrased it—“reform” of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program which expired at the end of last year.  Indeed, the White House has threatened to veto a bill I introduced with Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus that would expand TAA coverage to people in service industries who have lost their jobs to trade, and for the first time will apply to all World Trade Organization members – including India and China – not just those few countries with which we have free trade agreements.  Accordingly, I will work to ensure that this legislation is enacted before Congress even begins to consider further free trade agreements or reauthorization of the “fast-track” Trade Promotion Authority which gives the President the power to negotiate such deals with minimal Congressional oversight.”

“After years of scientific evidence, I am sorry that the President did not call for mandatory domestic greenhouse gas emissions reductions.  I will keep fighting for mandatory economy-wide CO2 reductions that are required in the Kerry-Snowe climate change bill which achieve the reductions needed to really slow, stop and reverse global warming. At a time when energy prices are plaguing the economy and burdening Maine families, we must provide a substantial investment into renewable energy and energy efficiency. Although I applaud the President’s signature of the first major increase in fuel economy standards since 1975, this improvement must be only the first step towards reviving a long-dormant energy policy. I believe that Congress must provide a substantial extension of the energy efficiency and renewable energy production tax credits to ensure that our country invests in a sustainable energy policy.”

“U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Craig Charloux of Bangor, a recipient of the Purple Heart and both the Army Commendation Medal and the National Defense Medal twice, was an honored guest during tonight’s State of the Union address. For serving his country with the highest honor and bravery, Sgt. Charloux is a true example of what it means to be an American hero.”

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